The Falcons took a lot of heat for drafting Michael Penix Jr. in the first round but they’re handling the rookie correctly as training camp begins.

Questions over the Atlanta Falcons’ decision to spend a first-round pick on Michael Penix Jr. despite investing serious resources to acquire Kirk Cousins this offseason will rage on for years. The organization’s responsibility now is to do everything it can to help Penix Jr. become a viable NFL starter. So far, so good for Atlanta.

Cousins was always slated to begin the year as the team’s unquestioned starter. Right now, Penix Jr. isn’t even receiving all of the backup reps. The former Washington Husky is splitting those with Taylor Heinicke early in training camp.

That’s a clear sign from head coach Raheem Morris that he isn’t going to put too much pressure on Penix Jr. during his rookie season. It would have been understandable if he awarded his rookie signal-caller with the lion’s share of the second-team reps due to his draft status. Making him earn the backup spot with a battle against Heinicke should help keep Penix Jr. grounded as training camp rolls along.

Falcons taking right approach already with Michael Penix Jr.

The Falcons still should want Penix Jr. to win the battle and emerge as the No. 2 option by the time the preseason concludes. Spending a high first-round pick on a third-string quarterback would not exemplify excellent roster construction by Atlanta’s front office. They need to strike a balance between avoiding putting too much on Penix without burying him on the depth chart this season.

Starting him slow is still the right move for a rookie quarterback who ideally won’t play any meaningful snaps this season. Penix Jr. is a long-term project for the Falcons despite his draft status. Throwing him into the fire too soon would open up the possibility of him being overwhelmed. There’s no reason for Atlanta to take that sort of risk with their talented rookie.

Falcons fans might want to see Penix Jr. feature heavily during the preseason but there’s no reason for the team to force that issue. They’d like to see him beat Heinicke out during the preseason but it’s not a necessity. The longer they can keep the first-round pick on the bench the better his chances of becoming a viable starter in the medium term will be.